After 42 years, the coalition in support of severe restrictions on relations with Cuba was beginning to unravel. Opponents saw opportunities to dismantle the restrictions in the spending bill to fund the Treasury Department, Postal Service, and White House. Flake (R-AZ) proposed an amendment to this spending bill that forbade any money for the enforcement of a ban on sending money to family in Cuba. Without money, the ban would be unenforceable. Progressives supported this amendment because they believed the ban on sending money to family restricted legitimate behavior, hurt nobody but the Cuban people, and did nothing to undermine the Castro regime. They voted for the amendment, and it passed 251-177.